What are the Ain Assad and Irbil bases? Iranian missiles target US troops in Iraq
Iran launched surface-to-surface missiles early Wednesday local time, targeting a pair of military installations in Iraq that house American troops in retaliation for the United States’ targeted killing of an Iranian general.
“The fierce revenge by the Revolutionary Guards has begun,” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement, according to The New York Times.
Iranian state media described the attack as “Tehran’s revenge operation over the killing of Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani,” the Associated Press reported.
The attacks targeted an installation in Irbil and the Ain Assad air base, U.S. officials confirmed on Tuesday. But what are the bases, and why are they important?
The Ain Assad air base, located in the western Anbar province of Iraq, “was first used by American forces after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein. It later saw American troops stationed there amid the fight against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria,” the AP reported.
The Times reported that the Assad base has “long been a hub for American military operations in western Iraq,” including in the lead-up to efforts against the Islamic State, while the Irbil base “has been a Special Operations hub, home to hundreds of troops, logistics personnel, and intelligence specialists.”
The Irbil base is in the semiautonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq, according to AP.
“We are aware of the reports of attacks on US facilities in Iraq,” said White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, according to ABC News. “The president has been briefed and is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team.”
The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed the attack on Ain Assad in a statement, adding that Iran “targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Irbil.”
After missile launch, Iran leader tweets flag – like Trump did after Soleimani death
“It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran,” Jonathan Hoffman, a Pentagon spokesman, said in the statement. “In recent days and in response to Iranian threats and actions, the Department of Defense has taken all appropriate measures to safeguard our personnel and partners. These bases have been on high alert due to indications that the Iranian regime planned to attack our forces and interests in the region.”
Trump flew into the Ain Assad air base in 2018 when he made a surprise visit to U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East, USA Today reported.
